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THE HAND OF FATE
by Yih

Solace at the end of the day/1939

Harry knew before Abraxas had decided to firecall him during his break between classes that Tom was more than a little upset at him for yesterday night. "I do appreciate your concern," Harry stated to Abraxas' bodiless head. Even after all the years he had spent in the wizarding world, the idea of firecalling someone still didn't feel natural. "I think it's quite obvious he's upset at me."

"You have a tendency to be quite oblivious," Abraxas remarked. "Is it so wrong for me to watch out for you?"

If Harry was certain that Abraxas didn't have other motives, then perhaps not, but he was always conscious of the fact that Abraxas was a Malfoy and it was probably a family motto in which every action had a motive. The same was likely true for all Slytherins. Harry had found that over the last few years, since he had jumped from his timeline back intot he past, he was acting less and less like his former self. Maybe he was growing older and wiser; either way he was thinking a lot more before he acted.

"Do you remember what we talked about last time?" Abraxas said. "You should consider it more carefully as you're wasted here at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts is the most prestigious wizarding school in the world and I am wasted here?" Harry said with a small laugh.

"The Ministry will need wizards like you," Abraxas stated. "This war, which is coming, is not a joking matter, Harry."

Having Abraxas call him by his name always jolted Harry as he had first been Abraxas's tutor then his professor. It sounded so wrong for a former student of his to call him by his given name, although when he thought about it, why was it when Tom called him by his name it felt natural?

Abruptly he heard someone knocking at his door and when he heard Tom's familiar voice calling his name, Harry looked back at Abraxas and smiled apologetically. "I've got a visitor."

"Tom, no doubt," Abraxas remarked. "Think on it. I know you're committed for the year, but the Ministry needs you."

With that, Abraxas disappeared from his fireplace and Harry quickly went to the door to his living quarters and threw it open. "Tom," he said, smiling at the boy who was quicly growing up in his eyes and would likely surpass him in height in the next year or so. "Come in."

"Were you busy?" Tom asked as he walked in. "I thought I heard you talking to someone."

Harry resisted the urge to lie as no good would come from it. He had already had a big enough lie he was hiding from Tom and the more and more lies he created, the more and more likely Tom was going to find out when he made a mistep. "Abraxas firecalled me."

Tom tilted his head. "I didn't know you two talked. I thought your tutoring sessions ended last year when Abraxas graduated."

"He sometimes calls me for advice," Harry replied smoothly. "I had forgotten to mention that we met up a few weeks ago and Abraxas, as you probably know, has been quite busy with his Ministry work. He has been trying to recruit me into the Office of Foreign Affairs."

"But that would mean you'd be leaving Hogwarts." Tom as usual didn't show much emotion in his face, but his voice was a different situation as it was changing, getting deeper and often broke a little when he was feeling strongly about something. At least, that was something Harry had noticed, although it might just be his wild imagination that Tom was even affected by him.

Sometimes Harry really didn't know how Tom felt about him. He knew in his own way that Tom cared about him, but how deeply Tom felt for him he didn't now. Tom had never been much for verbal affection, although Harry tried to show the younger boy in his own way how much he cared about him. But even though he knew he ought to be more verbally affectionate with Tom, he found it difficult himself to say openly what he was feeling too.

"I told him I wasn't interested."

Tom took a seat on the couch and stretched out his lanky body across the length of it. "What would you be doing for the Office of Foreign Affairs?"

"Not sure," Harry said as sat down on the other end of the couch, so that the two of them were facing each other. "Abraxas said it was confidential and he couldn't tell me until I at least agreed to be a contract wizard."

"Interesting," Tom remarked. "You would think he would at least tell you a little bit if he really wanted to lure you away from Hogwarts."

Harry shrugged. "I'm not interested in leaving anyways, so the point is moot."

"I'm glad," Tom said and smiled.

Harry had noticed that gradually over time, Tom was smiling more and more, although the frequency still wasn't what a normal boy of his age should be smiling, but it was better than nothing and Tom was sociable enough and certainly well-liked amongst his peers. Harry often heard the other professors comment on Tom's extraordinary characteristics and other than his interest in all magic, which unfortunately extended to the Dark Arts and Curses, he was the perfect role model.

"You're the best Professor at Hogwarts."

Harry chuckled at Tom's praise, even if it was an exaggeration. "I'm glad you think so highly of me."

"It's true," Tom said casually. "Slytherins don't give compliments easily, Harry, and you are the most liked professor other than Slughorn and he's our Head of House and we've got loyalty for one of ours."

"Loyalty is a good trait." Harry stifled a yawn. "I'm glad it's the start of term and there isn't any homework to grade yet."

"Are you going to complain incessantly about the students being dunderheads again?"

Harry put his finger up to his lips. "Hush. I shouldn't even be telling you about how I feel about work since you are a student here. And I do not complain incessantly."

Tom rolled onto his stomach and laid his head down on the couch. "You complained a lot."

"Well," Harry said a little bit defensively, "if the students would actually put in good effort on their homework then I wouldn't have to complain."

Some of his students really were complete dunderheads and he could almost almost sympathize with Snape of all people! Although his homework had been no where near as bad as the worst of the lot, but even he had to admit he could have put in more effort in certain classes like Potions. Well, it hadn't interested him that much and Snape hadn't liked him, which had only made him less interested in putting in effort.

"I think I'm going to sleep here," Tom said. "Your couch is comfortable."

Harry nudged Tom with his foot. "Go back to your dorm room. I'm absolutely certain that a studentsleeping in a Professor's living quarters is strictly prohibited!"

"It's not like we're doing anything illicit," Tom muttered. "And everyone knows that you're my guardian."

"Still, if you're going to sleep go back to your dorms."

Tom sat up instead. "You didn't really think I was going to sleep at this hour, did you? It's not even midnight yet."

Harry glanced at the clock. "It's almost curfew though."

Tom slid down the couch until he was next to Harry. "You can write me a pass and then I can stay as long as I want."

"That would be favoritism—"

"Which is against the rules," Tom finished. "Stop lecturing to me like you're my parent. We both know I've never thought of you as my father."

Harry sighed. "I am still your guardian and moreover, I am also your professor."

Tom leaned against Harry. "You're more like my friend than anything else."

Harry was more than a little surprised at Tom's statement and he looked down at Tom. The younger boy had his head against his shoulder and his eyes were downcast. His face was relaxed and he looked content.

"Friends, eh?" Harry reached up and ruffled Tom's hair because it was the thing he did. "I suppose that's acceptable."

"No," Tom said, "more like outstanding."

TBC

Please review!

A/N: I thought that there needed to be some 1:1 Tom and Harry time since they haven't had any real interaction in 1939 yet. Thanks to the reviewer who pointed out the discrepancy in the years, I appreciate it and I have fixed it. We will probably spend a few more chapters in 1939-40 before I do another jump in the timeline. This may be the longest "year" since the first year when Harry came back in history. But we will see. As for clarification, I am highly unlikely to do any explicit pairing at this point and I cannot confirm if this will be slash or not, but there will definitely at least be what I call a "bromance." Very very close friendship, which I've always wanted to write between two male characters!

Released on February 27, 2013.